Lepiota albofloccosa, a new species in sect. Lepiota (Agaricaceae, Agaricales) from Northwestern Himalayas of Jammu and Kashmir, India

Lepiota albofloccosa is proposed here from India based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analyses of the nuclear rDNA internal transcribed spacer and large subunit of rDNA region. The combination of morphological and molecular data confirmed the novelty of this species and its infrageneric placement within Lepiota sect. Lepiota. This species was found in the debris under Picea smithiana and is characterized by a snow white to milky white pileus with pale yellow to brownish yellow umbo, a scaly to cottony pileus surface with floccose velar remnants, fusiform to cylindrical, slightly thickwalled, dextrinoid basidiospores, and pileus covering a trichoderm composed of elongated hyphae. A detailed description, illustrations, and comparisons with morphologically similar and related taxa are provided here.

Automated summary

A new species, Lepiota albofloccosa, is reported from India based on morphological and phylogenetic analyses. The combination of both morphological and molecular data confirms the novelty of this species and its classification within Lepiota sect. Lepiota. The species was found in debris under Picea smithiana and shows distinctive characteristics such as a white to milky white pileus, scaly to cottony pileus surface with floccose velar remnants, fusiform to cylindrical basidiospores, and a trichoderm composed of elongated hyphae.